The current rules on cookies stem from the ePrivacy Directive (2002 – revised 2009) also commonly known as the European Cookie Law.
If you have a website or webshop, you are subject to the rules on cookies regardless of your site being business, government, or privately owned.
The ePrivacy Directive clearly states that websites in Europe must collect their users’ consent (to cookies) to be able to store cookies onto the users’ computers and smartphones.